Thursday, Judge Regina Chu sentenced Blue to seven-and-a-half years (90 months) in prison 42 months on one count and 48 months on the other in line with what prosecutors recommended. ORONO, Minn. -- The driver accused in the late-night crash that killed two men with deep ties to the Minnesota hockey community has turned himself in to police. James David Blue, 51, drove off North . Live Traffic, Construction and Accident Report. On Wednesday afternoon, July 28, Blue appeared at the Orono Police Department, where he was arrested at 4:49 p.m. on probable cause for two counts of criminal vehicular homicide. The driver, identified as James David Blue, 51, was taken to the hospital with severe injuries after the crash that killed Mack Motzko, 20, son of Gophers hockey coach Bob Motzko, and Sam . He had plans to play for a team in British Columbia in the coming season. #right_column_inside #mc_embed_signup #mc_embed_signup_scroll .button {margin:3px auto 0 auto; width:150px !important} Chautauqua County Court Judge David Foley, at a hearing Jan. 19, set bail for Rolison at . Prosecutors dropped two counts of third-degree murder and two separate charges of criminal vehicular homicide as part of the plea deal. He saw her on the sidewalk before we stopped., He just said that he saw her on the sidewalk because I said I saw her and then he said he saw her on the sidewalk and I never saw her on the sidewalk. Witnesses told police Blue had been drinking shots of liquor and had consumed THC gummies prior to the crash. A previous police release said they were responding to a single-vehicle accident at 3120 North Shore Drive in Orono. Inside the crashed car, officers found Schuneman who was pronounced dead at the scene and Motzko who died at a hospital soon after. Blue's personal Facebook page, which on Monday showed pictures taken from his home on the lake, appears to have been deleted. She said the support she got from other teams was 'overwhelming. #right_column_inside #mc_embed_signup .clear {text-align:center;} Mick Hatten/The Rink Live, Six friends of Sam Schuneman gathered at a memorial in Orono, Minn., at the site where Schuneman was killed, along with Mack Motzko, in a car accident on the night of Saturday, July 24, 2021. We see that you have javascript disabled. Carlson testified that she performed an alert test on Rolison in the mall parking lot to determine whether there was a presence of alcohol. The BCA later determinedBlues blood-alcohol level was .175 twice the legal limit. Blues personal Facebook page, which on Monday showed pictures taken from his home on Lake Minnetonka, appears to have been deleted. Join Facebook to connect with James David Blue and others you may know. At 11:47 p.m. on Saturday night, Orono police reported a fatal accident at the intersection of North Shore Drive and Bohns Point Road. Cloud hockey community mourns death of former Cathedral player Mack Motzko, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Cloud Times. Blue was ejected from the drivers seat and was taken to the hospital with critical injuries. Blue was treated for injuries at North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale and later released. Police said Schuneman, 24, and Motzko, 20, were both wearing seatbelts. Originally from the Twin Cities, Schuneman had attended Minnesota State University in Mankato and had moved to the Phoenix area. Cloud Cathedral High School, helping the Crusaders earn two third-place finishes in the state Class A tournament. Motzko and. Cloud Cathedral High School in 2020 and played hockey for the Sioux Falls Stampede in 2020-2021. The police department has stated previously that additional charges could be announced pending toxicology results. Voty was in the semi with Rolison the day of the accident. A vehicle traveling at high speed left the road and struck several trees. Blue turned himself in to the Orono Police Department in late July. An investigation into the fatal crash remains ongoing. RELATED: James Blue pleads guilty in high-speed drunken crash that killed 2. Sara Rafaloski, Hughans mother, said in a phone interview this week the family has been kept updated on the investigation and appreciates the work being put in by police and the DAs office. The crash happened when a car driven by Blue went off the road at a high rate of speed and struck a group of trees, according to Orono police, who said that alcohol and speed appear to have been factors. Cloud hockey community his father had previously been the head coach for the St. A native of Warroad, Minn. (the real Hockeytown USA), Myers has a degree in journalism/communications from the University of Minnesota Duluth. She testified that they were at a red light on North Main Street in Jamestown waiting to make a right-hand turn on to Sixth Street. Cloud Cathedral High School, helping the Crusaders earn two third-place finishes in the state Class A tournament. Shortly after the accident, Rolison was indicted on three counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He has a first. Witnesses from the party told officers that Blue had been taking shots of liquor and had consumed THC edibles, according to the complaint. According to a criminal complaint, officers from the Orono Police Department responded to a crash near the 3100 block of North Shore Drive on July 24. Schuneman was in the front passenger seat of the vehicle and Motzko was in the back seat. The Chautauqua County Health Department has lifted the boil water order for all Village of Fredonia water Jamestown Public Schools will do away with its Red Raiders name at the high school within the next two years. The crash, on the night of Saturday, July 24, 2021, claimed the lives of Mack Motzko, 20, and Sam Schuneman, 24. Blue will be charged with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide and is being . A Hubbard Broadcasting Company, deaths of 20-year-old Mack Motzko and 24-year-old Sam Schuneman, traveling between 94 and 99 mph in a Bentley Flying Spur. I just saw her in the crosswalk., And as you were driving down Sixth Street, did you hear anyone any car horns beeping at you?, And at any point between Sixth Street and the Chautauqua Mall did Mr. Rolison ever indicate to you that he knew he hit someone?, We are working this case very closely with the Chautauqua County District Attorneys Office,, We have since been actively engaged in the next stage of the process, working the investigation and developing and evaluating the evidence, so that we make appropriate charging decisions going forward,, We are doing everything within our power to protect and preserve our right as a community to ensure that justice is served here., Its been overwhelming with the support of the community,. The crash killed passengers Sam. The new charges, unrelated to the accident, were the result of unregistered handguns found in a storage unit that Rolison rents. A 51-year-old Orono man was driving near his Lake Minnetonka home when he crashed into a grove of trees, killing two young men who were passengers in his car. The Lakewood Fire Department, on its Facebook page, reported that at 9 p.m., it was dispatched to a vehicle fire in the vicinity of the Lakewood Community/Dog Park on Terrace Avenue. James D. Blue, 51, was charged Monday in Hennepin County District Court with four counts of criminal vehicular homicide in the deaths of Mack Motzko, 20, and Sam Schuneman, 24. He was killed in a car accident in Orono, Minn., on Saturday, July 24, 2021. And as you were driving down Sixth Street, did you hear anyone any car horns beeping at you? Barone asked. Follow him on Twitter @BrianMozey. Reach him at 320-255-8772or bmozey@stcloudtimes.com. He was in the Hennepin County jail Wednesday night. The driver in the weekend crash that killed two men with deep ties to the Minnesota hockey community was arrested Wednesday after turning himself in to police in a Lake Minnetonka community. He was scheduled to fly to Phoenix last Friday, but moved the return flight to Sunday morning to spend another day with friends. He lives in the Twin Cities. James D. Blue, 51, drove off North Shore Drive on Saturday around 11:20 p.m. near his home, striking trees before being thrown from his 2017 Bentley. Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the content of the FCC Public File may contact KSTP via our online form or call 651-646-5555, This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. The department said it would refer the case to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office on Friday. We express our thanks to the Court for the professional and compassionate manner in which it has handled this horrific and senseless tragedy. The judge will determine whether he will be allowed to post bail, and if so, for what amount. The legal limit for driving in Minnesota is 0.08. A vehicle traveling at high speed left the road and struck several trees. The crash killed passengers Sam . 0:46. Mack Motzko graduated from St. The initial report had one person deceased at the scene and two others with serious injuries. Today's breaking news and more in your inbox. Mack Motzko was a 2020 graduate of St. He is being represented by Ned Barone, county public defender, who with Schmidt, questioned Voty and other witnesses during the preliminary hearing in front of City Court Judge John LaMancuso. Ive taken both your sons lives and so much more from all friends and family. ORONO The Orono Police Department said Friday that lab results show James David Blue, 51, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.175 after a July 24 crash that killed Cathedral High School graduate Mack Motzko and Maple Groveresident Sam Schuneman. ORONO, Minn. (WCCO) -- The driver in a deadly crash that killed two men, including the Gopher hockey coach's son, learned his fate on Thursday. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. Motzko, the oldest son of Minnesota Gophers hockey coach Bob Motzko, had split time in junior hockey between teams in South Dakota and New Mexico last winter. James David Blue, 51, drove off North Shore Drive on Saturday around 11:30 p.m., striking the trees before being thrown from his 2017 Bentley. Prosecutors droppedtwo counts of third-degree murderand two separate charges of criminal vehicular homicide as part of a plea deal. He came to FCC in 2018 after three decades of covering sports as a freelancer for a variety of publications, while working full time in politics and media relations. Blue's personal Facebook page, which on Monday showed pictures taken from his home on the lake, appears to have been deleted. On Wednesday afternoon, James David Blue, 51, appeared at the Orono Police Department, where he was arrested on probable cause of two counts of criminal vehicular homicide. He has a first appearance in Hennepin County District Court on Friday. His sentencing before Hennepin County District Judge Regina Chu is set for May 5. James David Blue, 52, was intoxicated and driving nearly 100 mph when he crashed his 2017 Bentley Flying Spur in a wooded area near Lake Minnetonka last July, according to a criminal complaint . Details regarding the Dec. 31 accident that claimed the life of Alexis Lexy Hughan emerged at the Jan. 5 preliminary hearing. According to friends of Schuneman who were with him and Motzko on Saturday night, Blue hosted a party at his house, just a few doors down from the site of the accident, and offered the men a ride in a Bentley, which crashed on the return trip. Copyright 2023. And at any point between Sixth Street and the Chautauqua Mall did Mr. Rolison ever indicate to you that he knew he hit someone? he asked. The Orono police press release noted that alcohol and speed appear to be contributing factors in the crash, and the case remains under investigation. ORONO James David Blue, 52, the driver of a vehicle that crashed in July, killing two men, entered a guilty plea Tuesday to two counts of criminal vehicular homicide. He returned to Minnesota often and had been visiting friends this month. Schuneman, of Maple Grove, was in the passenger seat and died at the scene. On Wednesday afternoon, James David Blue, 51, appeared at the Orono Police Department, where he was arrested on probable cause of two counts of criminal vehicular homicide. The accident happened when a car driven by Blue, 51, went off the road at a high rate of speed and struck a group of trees, according to police. 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